Emily Ratajkowski posted a bikini photo of herself at 14 to make a powerful point about “sexiness”

Model and actress Emily Ratajkowski just reminded us what “sexiness” is really all about. Ratajkowski posted a bikini photo from when she was 14 to show just how far she’s come in her way of thinking, and encourage others to reshape their view of sexiness, too.

When Ratajkowski was coming up in the modeling industry, she was passionate about proving that her body was all natural, that she was naturally thin and curvy, and that her beauty was effortless. Although it’s never a bad thing to be proud and empowered by your body and the way your look, Ratajkowski explained to her followers that she wished she had learned at a younger age that sexiness isn’t just surface level.

"I used to like showing people this photo of me at 14 to prove that my body is natural," Ratajkowski began in the caption of her January 4th post. "Now I’m a little sad it exists at all. I was just a kid in this picture and I wish the world had encouraged my 14-year-old self to be more than just my body."

She continued that, although she still feels like she’s been “empowered” through her body and sexuality “via modeling and platforms like Instagram,” empowerment as a whole is multifaceted.

"Luckily I have discovered the parts of me that are so much more important than 'sexiness,'" Ratajkowski continued, "but if you’re a 14-year-old girl reading this, don’t worry about any of that for now. Read lots of books and know that what you see on Instagram is just a very small fraction of complete and beautifully complex human beings."

We’re giving her a standing ovation.

Though it’s a powerful thing to love your body and own your sexuality, there’s more to empowerment than just loving how you look. Education, understanding yourself and others, and fostering a healthy relationship with your own thoughts is what results in well-rounded sexiness.

We’ll gladly follow Emily Ratajkowski’s lead to become a “beautifully complex human being.”

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